Creation of artificial enzymes that enable targeted editing of any DNA bases

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H04994
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: System genome science
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Nishida Keiji 神戸大学, 先端バイオ工学研究センター, 教授 (10620338)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ゲノム編集 / CRISPR / 塩基編集

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As a new base-editing technology, we have succeeded in creating an artificial enzyme that can be expressed in cells without causing genomic instability using DNA glycosylase as a matrix, and can debase thymine only in targeted regions. This enabled the conversion of thymine to other bases. Furthermore, they increased the efficiency by adding factors involved in post-debase repair. In order to increase the versatility of the enzyme, they were able to find a way to make it work in combination with CRISPR variants.

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Free Research Field

合成生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生物のゲノムを書き換えることができる新たなゲノム編集技術として、これまで困難であったTの一文字の書き換えに関わる酵素について、自然界では異なる文字を認識する酵素を改変することによって新たに生み出すことに成功した。これによってより自由度の高いゲノム情報の書き換えが可能になり、遺伝子治療法や、微生物・農水産物の育種技術として応用可能性が期待される。